She Needs Me
by PrincessBryana
Summary: Late at night, Vector gets an unexpected phone call from someone in need of comfort. (Human AU)


His phone vibrated on the coffee table.

Vector moved his eyes away from the moving blobs of the T.v to stare at his faced down apple phone in curiosity. The edges of the phone emitted light coming from the screen as it kept buzzing softly. Furrowing his brows together, he turned to glance at the clock on the wall.

"Who could that be at two in the morning...?" He thought as he finally picked up the phone and looked at the caller. Suddenly, Vector sat up on the couch and wrestled his trembling fingers in control to hit the call button before raising the device to his ear.

"Vanilla?" Vector sounded too excited, yet he tried to voice towards concern as to not get the girl scared and regret calling him. Vector was having a restless night as it is, he would love the company of talking to someone. Especially if that certain someone is a beautiful single mother with an adoring daughter.

"...Vector?" The tone of her voice immediately made his joy disappear and his concern to truly unravel after he heard her usually soft voice sound quiet and broken. As if she was crying.

"What's the matter?" He asked his tone of voice immediately shift towards real concern. "Vanilla, Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Its just..." Her voice cracked. Vector immediately stood up in search for his car keys when he heard her gentle sob right after.

"Vanilla..." Vector didn't know what to say, nor what he was doing when he began to walk towards the front door, keys jangling in his large hand while his phone was on the other pressed on his ear.

"I'm sorry..." She said hiccuping while he opened his car. "It's late, I shouldn't have disturbed you, Vector. I just didn't know who else too..." As she hiccuped one more time, Vector realized that she didn't know what she was doing either.

Vector pulled out of his driveway. "Vanilla, stay there." He said low and softly. "I'm coming." It was faint, but he swore he heard Vanilla sighing in relief after he announced he was on his way towards her.

"Okay." She breathed out.

**o0o**

Vector parked his Mercedes near the mailbox, and turned off the headlights. While he was driving, Vector's mind started to wonder to the worst possible scenarios that would ultimately result in Vanilla crying. Did something bad happen to Cream? His heart immediately raced with that thought planted his mind. Vector has been spending hours of his time with Vanilla and Cream that he already grew to care for them both.

He hoped for the best as he got out of the car and faced the tiny welcoming house that was inhabited by a beautiful mother and her only child. All the other houses in the neighborhood were dark and silent with their owners fast asleep inside.

Except for the house in front of him, having the porch lights on, and a petite woman sitting on a porch swing staring up at the stars and the crescent moon. Vanilla has been waiting outside for him this whole time. It made his heart flutter, and his stomach twist with nerves.

Vanilla didn't turn to acknowledge him until his loud footsteps echoed on the small cement pathway, slowly making his way towards her. As he got closer, Vector was now able to see her better. Even though it pained Vector see his Vanilla with her eyes red and puffy from crying, she was still as beautiful as ever.

Her hair was a gorgeously wavy caramel colored mess pulled back in a half up hairstyle. Her large brown eyes would put smooth chocolate to shame, and her personality was so sweet and kind, Vector thought it was too good to be true when he met her. She was perfect.

But seeing her pained at the moment gave him the strong urge to pull her into his arms and hold her until dawn.

Vanilla must of had that urge too.

Because as soon as she saw him, Vanilla scrambled off the bench, down the porch stairs and into his large open arms. Vector stumbled back just a bit from her sudden force upon running to him. When he caged Vanilla in his embrace, the comfort finally made her sob quietly.

Her cries were muffled from her face pressed against his chest. Vector could already feel Vanilla's hot tears soaking through his shirt as he rubbed her back. He didn't mind it. If sacrificing his clothing was what it took to keep Vanilla in his arm's, then so be it.

As if she couldn't get enough of him being this close already, Vector felt her thin arms hold him tighter and her soft fingers clawing at his back, grabbing on to his shirt. If hugging someone was her way of dealing with sadness, then Vector will definitely be there anytime with welcoming arms. Not for his benefit, but mostly for her. Anything to see that beautiful smile surface it's way on her tiny face.

Vector didn't want to let go of her (He assumed she didn't want to either) but he took hold of her shoulders and gently shoved her back to look down at her tear stained face. Hiccuping, Vanilla tried to wipe them away. Vector did it for her, and rested his hand on her face before lifting her face to look at him.

"Vanilla what's the matter?"

Vector had always had a deep voice. He didn't have an inside voice for crying out loud! Vector usually shouted everything when he spoke. But his voice was coming out smooth and gentle tonight when he spoke to Vanilla.

This beautiful woman made him do unimaginable wonders.

Vanilla stared up at him sniffling. Her brown eyes were wide and teary. She almost looked like a child whenever she would stare up at him with a childlike wonder. Very strikingly familiar to that of her daughter.

Vanilla tried to find the words to explain, but her hiccuping and sniffling made it a challenge.

"I-I...Well..." Her voice squeaked.

She put her head down and attempted to wipe away the tears that still managed to escape.

Vector stared down at her frowning with his brows furrowed together. Vector's heart ached. The oblivious girl didn't know this was hurting him as much as this was hurting her. Vanilla was the sweetest and most positive young woman he has ever known; what could of possibly made his dearest this upset?

Vector suddenly clenched his jaw and knitted his brows in anger as a damning thought crossed his mind. He placed his giant hands on her delicate shoulders and bent down a bit at an attempt to find her eyes.

"Vanilla."

The sudden malice in his voice made Vanilla tense up.

"I swear," his voice sounded so furiously soft.

"If somebody hurt you-"

Vanilla quickly picked up her head to look at his fierced golden eyes. She shook her head.

"Oh, no! It's not like that at all!" She frowned and looked down again, letting the sentence hang in the air.

One more time, Vector lifted her face up to meet his eyes.

"But...?"

Vanilla took hold of his large hand that remained on her face and tugged it. "Come on." She said softly as she led Vector to the front porch.

His heart thundered furiously in his broad chest. Vector and Vanilla weren't exactly in a 'relationship' per se. But Vector has always been the one to make the move that would indicate them being in a relationship. He would hug Vanilla in a greeting, buy her gifts, take her and Cream places, or currently be the one to wipe away her tears and touching her face to be -too close for comfort-.

But never, has Vanilla been the one to attempt anything to break the routine that they had.

He swallowed his nerves and looked down at his hand. Vanilla used both of her tiny hands to hold his large one.

She was holding his hand.

Certainly a bold move. Vector has always been too scared to break the invisible boundaries they had when it came to touching each other. Hugging and occasionally brushing a random strand of hair away from her face was his only rule.

And there she was. Walking backwards facing Vector, holding his hand with both of her tiny ones. An adorable and childlike move she was pulling off here. And yet, brave enough to break the boundary.

The old wooden steps groaned under their- er...Vectors weight. They reached the porch swing and sat down. Vector felt a little disappointed when Vanilla let go of his hand when she sat.

He settled down a foot apart from her, carefull not to seem as clingy and make her uncomfortable.

To his surprise, Vanilla looked back at him with a flicker of disappointment in her eyes and actually scooded closer to him. She then ducked under his arm and hugged his midsection.

"Are you okay?" He asked, patting her side.

"I don't know..." she said gently.

Vector looked down at her again with a look of concern easily drawn on his face. The only time he had seen her this upset, was when she woke up one morning running to Cream' s room before dreaming that her only daughter was kidnapped. Vanilla told him everything that morning, and took them both to the park in hopes of making her feel better while Cream and Charmy were playing.

It warmed his heart that day knowing that she felt better with him around.

He was hoping to have that same effect tonight.

Vector leaned forward and attempted to find her face as she was resting her head right above his thundering heart looking down at her curled up legs. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it." He told her softly. "I can just stay here as long as you want."

Vanilla made a small sound and felt a tiny smile on her face. "No..." she finally said. "I dragged you down here and practically wasted your time. I'll tell you."

Vector wanted to tell her that his time wasn't being wasted, but decided not to intervene. Instead, he began to slowly swing the bench they were on, hoping the smooth rocking movement would make her more comfortable.

"I received a letter today from my home town, Station Square..."

Vector waited as he watched her chest rise and fall in a long breath, preparing herself for what she was about to say next.

"My mother passed."

Vector stilled his fingers from toying with her wavy hair and moved his hand to rub her arm in comfort. Vanilla made it possible to squeeze closer to him in response.

"Oh, Vanilla." He said his voice full of sympathy and understanding. "I'm really sorry-"

"But," Vanilla cut him off, her soft tone in her voice not changing.

"I don't miss her."

"Then..." Vector was trying to wrap his head around this new information. Vanilla was practically bawling her eyes out when he got here. How come she wasn't upset at the fact that her mother was gone? "Why are you so upset?" He finished gently.

She let out a shakey sigh. "Don't you see? I don't miss her." She swallowed. "But I should miss her, shouldn't I? She was my mother after all. She birthed me, fed me, she was the only kin I had." Vanilla broke away from the embrace to look at Vector, her cheeks glisened with new tears.

"I'm upset, Vector, because I'm not upset over her." Vanilla attempted to wipe away her tears. "Does that make me a bad person?" She choked out.

"No..." he cooed. "No, no..." he brought her back in his embrace. Vanilla didn't object and settled back in place. "I'm sure you have a good reason."

Actually, now that he thought about it, it never really occurred to Vector that Vanilla never mentioned her mother at all. Vector never really got around to asking her about it, in case the subject would upset her. But he was now inappropriately eager to learn something new about this subject.

"My Mother," she began gently. "Wasn't really a huge part of my life. She didn't even like me." Vanilla chuckled humorlessly. "I was actually a failed abortion. She couldn't afford to get rid of me when she found out she was pregnant with me. And yet, she kept me anyways...

"My mother wasn't abusive nor supportive, it usually felt like she wasn't there to begin with. All she really did was feed me, and when I would finish, she would tell me to lock myself in my room. Then she would take out the shot glasses and invite as many men as she could find. I never met my biological father. I always did wonder if he was among the crowd of men in our small apartment, I never really cared anyway.

"This lifestyle dragged on in my high school years. If I won a student award, she never cared. If I participated in a play with me as the lead role, she never came to see me. And If I showed her my positive grades, she would only wave her hand to lead me away.

"She used to call me names as well. She would tell me that I was a waste of her time and money, call me useless. She even went as far as telling me that the only reason she would take care of me was because she didn't want to waste her money on my own funeral if I died.

"I was seventeen when I decided to get away from this for one night. And so... I lured a boy over to wisk me away into delight and feverish feelings for one night. My mother found this to be the perfect opportunity to finally be rid of me and kick me out when she found out I was pregnant with Cream a month after that wiskful night."

Vanilla shrugged. "Then I packed my stuff, took a train, and never looked back."

Vector felt like he was listening to a stranger. He couldn't believe that Vanilla, his Vanilla, went through the worst stages of her life and managed to be the kind and polite woman that she was. It was all surreal. How can the best person in life go through something so awful?

Vector randomly began to wonder about a certain blue haired, speedy teen...

"You know..." She continued. "Back then, only for a moment..."

Vector waited, patiently.

"...I didn't want to have Cream."

Vector slightly raised his eyebrows in surprised. Now he found that almost impossible, considering that Cream was the love of her life.

"I wasn't ready to be a parent. I was still a teen. I was actually thinking about an abortion..."

"But you didn't."

"But I didn't. I didn't want to follow the path my mother took. So I kept her." For the first time during this particular topic, Vanilla smiled.

"Then I realized. I felt the most beautiful feeling in the world as soon as Cream came out..."

"And that was...?"

"For the first time in seventeen years, Vector, I fell in love. In love with my baby. Cream was the first person I ever really loved."

Vector smiled, knowing Vanilla found something better than her mother.

"I gave Cream everything I never had with my mother. I wanted Cream to have the chances I never got. And treat her the way I was supposed to to be treated, with patience, kindness, and just full of love." Vanilla finally managed the breathe at ease now that she got everything out her chest.

"Vanilla..." he said. "Thank you for telling me this. I know this wasn't easy for you."

"And Thank You." She said lifting her head to look at him. "For just being here for me."

"I guess it's time for me to take my leave." Upon saying that, Vector noticed that Vanilla frowned.

"But," Vanilla stared off into the dark empty road. "It could be dangerous driving at...night." Vector also noticed when she put her head down as blood rushed to her cheeks.

He knew exactly what she was implying.

"I think you're right, Vanilla."

**o0o**

Creamed yawned as she was descending the stairs early in the morning to reach the living room and watch Tv. A new episode of her favorite show Seahorse and Friends comes on every saturday morning.

In her little pink nightgown, she bounced off the final step and turned a corner to reach the living room.

As soon as she walked in, Cream stopped dead in her tracks while her tiny hands immediately flew over her mouth as to not a make a sound.

Cream was caught by surprise when she saw the two familiar sleeping figures on the large couch of theirs. Cream slowly moved closer.

It was, in fact, Vector and her Mama sleeping there. Like a puppy, Cream's Mama was literally curled up right above Vector's body. And Vector simply layed on his back with a large arm draped over Her Mama's body.

Cream inched closer to Vector's head and was able to hear his soft snoring. She smiled. Cream has always had a liking to Vector in a way she couldn't explain, and upon seeing his face looking so vulnerable and peaceful, free from any worry creased on his smooth face, made her heart warm in happiness.

With her small porcelain hand, Cream gently brushed green strands of curls away from his resting face without stirring. She then darted her brown eyes at the resting couple together before silently dashing back up the stairs and into her room.

Cream walked in to find her tired chao companion floating towards her as he rubbed the sleep from his drooped eye's.

"Chao chao?"

"You really want to know why I'm smiling so much, Cheese?" Asked Cream, bouncing on her heels. "Because..." Cream singsonged as she started skipping past the Chao.

"I'm gonna have a Papa soon~"


End file.
